28/12/21

It may be of interest to Surrey Bird Club members that Natural England is conducting a formal boundary review for the Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). There has been a desire locally for many years for a review to decide whether additional areas adjacent to the existing AONB boundary should also be designated. They are asking for public contributions to assist the decision-making process.

Since AONBs are designated solely for their outstanding natural beauty, any decision about an extension to the Surrey Hills AONB boundary will be based on assessments of factors that relate directly to natural beauty – for instance, cultural and natural heritage, the condition of features in the landscape and the scenic qualities of the areas under review.

If there is a “beautiful” area just outside the existing boundary that you would like to see given greater protection, then visit the review website https://www.surrey-hills-aonb-boundary-review.org/share. You will be asked to indicate a location on a map and to provide a brief justification of up to 250 characters.

The deadline for submissions is 31 January 2022.